School consolidation/Snow

First off let me say...."Snow, snow go away." I am so sick of snow. It just keeps falling and today it is heavy. It's not windy, yet. But the flakes are big and puffy. Lots of snow and lots of accidents. Be careful out there if you're in my next of the woods.

School consolidation....what a topic! In my county the school district wants to combine the two towns (who at one time were sworn enemies), in fact the division of these two towns started back when the county was being formed the county is named after the town but the county seat is in the other town. So there is bad blood between the two towns since the beginning of times!

The school board believes it would stop losing money if these two towns and their schools would combine. The superintendent (the main ring leader) and the current school board had had 3 or 4 meetings. I have attended two of those meetings. First off they want to move the schools K-12 out in the middle of the county (5 miles away from each town); then the other options were to have K-4 in one town and grades 5-8 in another town; another option was to keep K-4 in each town and grades 5-8 would be moved to the high school location. The latter is what the Super and Board thought would be the best solution. However, it would not be the best option in my opinion (plus several other people). So it was taken to a vote by the public who made it out to the meetings and a citizen asked them to put the option of leaving everything as it on the ballot. They reluctantly added that option on the vote and it won!

Opposition from both towns have been written to the newspaper editors. Most everyone has voiced opinions against what the super and school boards have wanted. The most important thing is that both of the towns would stand to lose a lot of revenue if the schools were combined. Also some teachers would be cut from the system but an increase in bus drivers. The SB thinks that it would be an advantage to move grades 5-8 out 5 miles away. Already, in the next two years the school board has signed off on combing all sports with the two towns. The reason why they are doing this is lack of population in the schools...but and an important but, it would cut down participation in sports. If you have small sports teams, everyone gets to play...but if you combine your sports only the best of the best would play and the ones who were marginally good wouldn't get that chance. It would cause more competition. I think that junior high sports should be kept small. But they (the school board) wants their sports team to be highly competitive.

Building another building out at the high school location is an option that the school board came up with. They want to build new have better classroom subjects and share the space with the high school. Grades 5-8 are way too young to be exposed to the high school atmosphere.

Here's what I think that our district should do: I think that we should keep things as is, each town having their own school and combining in 9th grade. Make each K-8 school more up-to-date by having security measures in place (which they do now) and fixing on a most needed basis. Neither town would lose any money and the students could stay in their local schools.

The current school board will be up for re-election this spring. I hope that they are voted out and that a new school board can determine what is best for both towns. Most of the new ones do not want consolidation and that's who I will vote for.

"It's nice to be nice to the nice!"

The title is a quote from Maj. Frank Burns (aka Larry Linville) on an episode in MASH called "Henry in Love." I searched for that quote in google and couldn't find it. But when I recalled about that episode where Henry meets 20 year Nancy Sue Parker...I knew that was the episode that particular quote was in.

KU beat Colorado today. Two players (Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers) each had 21 points! All the guys on KU got to be in the game. I wish that they would play Brady Morningstar more often. He's pretty good. (IMO). Maybe someday down the road he will get some more playing time in.

I saw a basketball game earlier in the day. Ten year old basketball....again the kids just think they can shoot from far out and make a basket. The kids do not like to pass at all. If they get the ball then it's off to the races and boy are they ball hogs! It's like watching 5 little teams out there plus the other team. Each kid being their own team...Point is there still isn't any teamwork out there. The coaches tell them to pass the ball but yet, they are afraid to pass it to someone who might not make the shot. Of course, they believe their shots will always go in...but that's not the norm.. they don't all go in. I hope things improve. It's too bad my kid's dad isn't a coach because then he would start. But he's always coming off the bench (I've nicknamed him Sherron, for Sherron Collins since he doesn't start and always comes off the bench to play). It makes him feel better for he knows how good Sherron is despite not being one of the starting five. Sort of like a Jeff Hawkins of a few years back. Hawk was good but just couldn't be a starter...oh I think a few times he was whenever a player didn't show up for practice or was late.

Ten year old kids do that around here and coaches don't like that. They have to have a good excuse, let the coach knows what is going on, but simply cannot ditch practice IF they want to play. If they ditch practice then they are most likely going to sit out a few quarters. It is only fair to the ones who do show up for practice.

I'm just rambling away...it's late time to put the car up! :)

Emails about possible political candidates

I received an email from a very good confident about a possible political candidate and his background. I know that my friend is the opposite party from me, but she has no idea that I believe the way I do. I do not like to discuss religion or politics, as I think this could cause an end to friendships.

It was tough to read this email, as I have read much on this particular candidate. If the election was held tomorrow I would probably vote for him.

I would mention who it is, but since I won't mention what political party I belong to and who this particular candidate is, then you will have to guess.

I never talk politics with my inlaws either as they too are the opposite of what I think.

My point is, if the email offends you, mail it on to others in your political party and then delete it. Never discuss the senders reasons for sending it. And never get involved in a political discussion with people that you know think opposite of you (unless you want to lose a friendship). This is what happened to me in high school. I had a very good friend and she believed that fighting in the Vietnam War was right and I did not. That war was unpopular and so is this current war.

Okay, now you probably KNOW what party I belong to...nuff said.

Just trying to get along with everyone rambling down the road of life.